Shots in the Dark
by xRavenwing
Summary: Many years after the clans found their new home, they have been forced to move again. They have become enemies of each other and wars were held almost all the time. At least, until a pair of kits were stolen...


Chapter one

Dusk sighed. She had just been to see her mate and kit, and was suffering for it. 

"What where you thinking?" The lead rouge, Crow yowled in her ear. "You didn't even bring back any prey!"  
It didn't help that Dusk was half-blind, and therefore had trouble hunting. But she had a suspicion that the 'prey' Crow was talking about was not mice and voles. Him and his mate, Sea regularly went on kitsnatching missions to the four clans. Dusk herself had once belonged to Tundraclan, under the name 'Palepaw'. She had hated the strict rules, so just before she was due to become a warrior, she had run away. How she regretted it now. 

Suddenly she was pulled out of these thoughts of her past. Crow had finished his rant and was now addressing Sea.  
"So. As Dusk is so lonely for clan life." He shot her a spiteful look. "I want you to visit that clan of hers; Forestclan, and bring back a kit. Two kits."  
"Which ones?"  
"Any. Look for ones like Dusk here, pale creams and white. There shouldn't be many."   
Sea nodded, trotting out of the gorse den.  
"You can't do that!" Dusk rounded on Crow, blue eyes wide.  
"And why not, my dear clan-bred?" He gave her a cuff around the head, forcing her back into her scruffy nest.  
"If I were you, I wouldn't cause any trouble, otherwise you might find my claws slipping into one of those kits..." 

--Sun high-- 

Sea wasn't back yet. Though he made a good show of hiding, Dusk could tell Crow was worried. Dusk had worked out a while ago that Sea was expecting kits. She should have been resting, but refused to. And so Crow was worried. Sadistic though he was, he did care for his mate and his unborn kits. The group needed to grow, after all. 

He was pacing outside the camp, growling to himself. But he seemed to have seen something as he was bounding forward. 

Yes, it was Sea. Dusk gasped when Crow led her in. Both her ears were ripped and there were long scratches across her eyes. Her normally tidy spotted coat was scarred and flecked with dry blood. She collapsed as soon as she her bed, groaning quietly. Crow bent over her, murmuring nonsense, trying to calm her down. But what caught Dusk's attention the most where the two kits peering into the den. One she knew as her grand-daughter, but the other she had never seen before. A small grey she-cat with wide green eyes. They slowly made their way into the den, not scared, just curious.  
"I know you!" The cream kit squeaked; Dusk's grand-daughter. "You visit my grandfather!"

The grey kit seemed confused at this, looking from her companion to Dusk and back again. 

Dusk nodded. "Yes. I'm your grandmother. Now, what are your names?" She asked, looking at the two kits.  
"I'm Thymekit!" The white kit said, then nudged the so-far silent grey kit. "And she's Ghostkit. She can't talk."  
Dusk nodded, puzzled.  
"Well. I'm your new guardian now, I'm Dusk. I'm afraid you will have to change your names slightly. You may keep the first part, or change it how you wish."  
Thymekit shook her head. "I want to stay as Thyme, and she wants to stay as Ghost. She just told me." 

Just then there was a commotion to one side of them. Quickly Dusk hurried the kits outside, taking them to a small grove a little way away.  
"What was wrong with that she-cat?" The newly named Thyme asked. Dusk hesitated.  
"She's... ill." She said lamely. To her it had sounded as if the kits were coming early, and she hadn't wanted these two kits to watch that. 

Changing the subject she quickly asked a question about their needs. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"  
The pair thought for a while, before Thyme replied.  
"Hungry. We didn't get a chance to eat before we visited you."  
Dusk nodded, even though her hunting skills were a little rusty, surely she could find enough to feed a couple of kits. She got to her feet, telling the kits to stay where they were.   
"I'm just getting you some food." 

Slowly she padded into the undergrowth, feeling bad about leaving the kits on their own. Pausing she took a deep breath of the forest scents. Hm... She could smell mouse and vole. Closing her eyes and using only her ears she pin-pointed where the prey was. Padding forward as quietly as she could, she opened her eyes. There was no sense in walking into a tree. 

Pausing again she took another check. Mouse. No, mice! A family of them. She speeded up towards the hollybush the family was in. Reaching the base of it she began to dig, unearthing the nest. Five plump mouse-kit and an fleeing adult. She didn't bother to chase it, the little ones would be enough. With the bat of an unsheathed paw she dispatched them, picked them up and started her journey back. Two of them were still half alive. She had thought she would give the kits and early hunting experience. 

Reaching the grove she placed the dead mouse-kits in a pile, giving the two half-alive ones to the kits. Thyme jumped backwards when hers squirmed slightly, while Ghost leaped onto it, clutching it with tiny claws. This pleased Dusk, she had been worrying about having to tutor the kits. However, this did not look as if it would be a problem. Thyme had saw what Ghost was doing and had copied her, biting the neck just as she saw Ghost killing hers.  
"Well done!" Purred Dusk "You two will be great hunters!"  
Thyme nodded, her eyes bright.  
"So what do we do now?" 

Dusk paused, trying to think. Maybe a story would help? One that had happened during her time in Tundraclan. Luckily she was interrupted by Crow racing up to her, a triumphant look in his eyes.  
"Three kits. River, Yew and Crown."  
Dusk started, forgetting the clan-kits.  
"And Sea? How is she?"  
"Fine."  
"Really?"  
"Yes. Tired."  
Dusk nodded, then padded to the den, Thyme and Ghost following her. Poking her head around the hole she took a look at the new kits. River was much like his mother, grey with black spots. Yew took after neither of his parents, an brown, white and ginger tom, with very long fur. And finally Crown. Dusk knew enough about Crow to be able to tell she was like Crow's mother. A petite white she-cat with gold ears and amber eyes. She would be beautiful when she was older.  
And as Crow had said, Sea did look tired. Exhausted would be a better word. 

--- 4 moons later --- 

And then the worst happened. Just after the kits fourth moons Sea succumbed to a mixture of leaf-bare and white-cough. Dusk had been out training Thyme and Ghost, both now 7 moons. Ghost was the better hunter and fighter, while Thyme had found a hidden talent for herbs.

But their training had been disturbed by Crow's anguished cries. They had rushed back to find Crow hunched over Sea's still body while her kits watched with a fearful look in their eyes. All except Crown. She had just looking bored, turning her back on her late mother and rasping a tongue over her fur.


End file.
